Peer-aggressive humor and cyberbullying among Chinese and American university students: mediating and moderating roles of frustration and peer norms

The impact of aggressive humor on workplace dynamics has been extensively examined; however, its implications for university students remain underexplored. Drawing on frustration–aggression theory, this study aims to uncover the consequences of peer-aggressive humor and its relationship with cyberbullying behavior. We employed a 2 (peer aggressive humor: present vs. absent) * 2 (perceived peer norms regarding tolerating aggressive humor: high vs. low) between-subject experimental design and random sampling techniques via Credamo and MTurk to recruit university students from China and the United States as participants. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 21 PROCESS macros to validate the proposed research model. The results revealed that the effects of peer-aggressive humor are contingent upon students' perceptions of peer norms. When students perceived a high tolerance for aggressive humor among their peers, they became frustrated after experiencing peer aggressive humor, consequently intensifying their inclination to engage in cyberbullying perpetration. Conversely, when students perceived peer norms of low tolerance for aggressive humor, they were less likely to feel frustrated and less inclined to perpetrate cyberbullying. These findings suggest that educators should consider the potential consequences of peer aggressive humor, emphasizing the role of negative emotions, and guiding the establishment of peer norms. As such, it contributes to the broader understanding of strategies aimed at mitigating cyberbullying incidents among students.